PlayStation Vue Streaming Service Drops Viacom Channels Including Comedy Central
PlayStation Vue is dropping a few things, and some subscribers are likely to be unhappy. All Viacom-owned networks, including Comedy Central, Spike, and MTV, will no longer be available on PlayStation Vue. Vue will cut the stations at 12:01am EST on Friday, November 11th.
According to Sony, “As part of our ongoing evaluation of the PlayStation Vue offering, we have determined that removing the bundle of channels from Viacom is the best way for us to continue to offer the most compelling value to our fans.” Sony did not explicitly state its reason for dropping Viacom. The change is likely an attempt to keep Vue prices down and therefore “offer the most compelling value”.
Sony giveth and Sony taketh away. The company is adding BBC America and NBA TV on November 9th and later including more local broadcast stations from CBS and Fox. This past year, Sony added to Vue ESPN, ABC, the NFL Network, HBO, and other Disney-owned channels. They also introduced new Vue-enabled devices such as Roku, Android TV, and web support for PC and Mac.
Vue Customers will continue to be able to enjoy simultaneous streaming and cloud-based DVR. Sony plans to introduce multiple plan options and the ability to select certain episode or movies from channels such as HBO and Cinemax.
This change in line-up is quite a frequent occurrence with cable and streaming companies due to rights and pricing disputes. This past April ,Viacom and Dish settled a carriage dispute. The settlement permitted Dish’s Sling TV streaming television service to carry Viacom’s networks.
Viacom has also been dropped by smaller cable operators such as Suddenlink and Cable One. The company has reportedly been experiencing drops in viewers and therefore ad-dollars. Viacom fans, however, should not be too concerned. The company is reportedly in talks with Google regarding its TV service on YouTube, and AT&T over its DirecTV Now streaming service.
According to Sony, “As part of our ongoing evaluation of the PlayStation Vue offering, we have determined that removing the bundle of channels from Viacom is the best way for us to continue to offer the most compelling value to our fans.” Sony did not explicitly state its reason for dropping Viacom. The change is likely an attempt to keep Vue prices down and therefore “offer the most compelling value”.
Sony giveth and Sony taketh away. The company is adding BBC America and NBA TV on November 9th and later including more local broadcast stations from CBS and Fox. This past year, Sony added to Vue ESPN, ABC, the NFL Network, HBO, and other Disney-owned channels. They also introduced new Vue-enabled devices such as Roku, Android TV, and web support for PC and Mac.
Vue Customers will continue to be able to enjoy simultaneous streaming and cloud-based DVR. Sony plans to introduce multiple plan options and the ability to select certain episode or movies from channels such as HBO and Cinemax.
This change in line-up is quite a frequent occurrence with cable and streaming companies due to rights and pricing disputes. This past April ,Viacom and Dish settled a carriage dispute. The settlement permitted Dish’s Sling TV streaming television service to carry Viacom’s networks.
Viacom has also been dropped by smaller cable operators such as Suddenlink and Cable One. The company has reportedly been experiencing drops in viewers and therefore ad-dollars. Viacom fans, however, should not be too concerned. The company is reportedly in talks with Google regarding its TV service on YouTube, and AT&T over its DirecTV Now streaming service.
